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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: root · bat · pass · straw · saw · tube · ground · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — the cause
  4. craft — boats
  5. tube — a container
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bat — the animal
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. saw — the tool
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pass — a permit
  18. saw — the tool
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. root — of a plant
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. ground — a position
  24. bat — in an idiom

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com